Postseason college gymnastics takes center stage tonight as Utah, Stanford, Denver, and BYU compete in session two at the Huntsman Center. With home advantage on their side, the Utes are well-positioned to advance. Last week’s path to the Pac-12 title was relatively straightforward, but tonight presents a tougher test as the competition heats up.
Stanford has earned a reputation as the team no one wants to face in the postseason, and for good reason. Fresh off winning the ACC Championship in its debut season, the Cardinal is riding a wave of momentum. They’ll open on vault—historically not their strongest event—but standout Yurchenko one and a halves from Anna Roberts and Taralyn Nguyen helped clinch their conference title. A strong start there could set them up for another deep postseason run.
Denver will be looking to shake off familiar struggles from Big 12s and play spoiler tonight. The Pioneers’ key to success will be all-around star Madison Ulrich, who has been a consistent force all season. If she delivers, she could not only boost Denver’s upset chances but also put herself in prime position for an individual nationals berth.
BYU started out a bit slow with a tied score following the first rotation, but quickly pulled away against Utah State last night, surviving another day to compete in its home state tonight. The Cougars will compete against Utah for the third time this season, Denver for a second time and Stanford for the first time this year.
Rotation 1: Stanford VT, Denver UB, BYU BB, Utah FX
Chang (Stanford) VT: yfull not tons of air, chest down fights for stick but can’t hold it. 9.750
Casali (Denver) UB: Bail down to low bar looked fine, last handstand short, DLO a bit pikey but stuck. 9.850
Dudley BYU (BB): No issues with series. Missed the rest due to stream. 9.750
Glynn (Utah) FX: Missed first pass due to stream, back 1.5 to front lay did not get much of a punch out of it but made the lay. 9.850
Neault (Stanford) VT: 9.850
Ulrich (Denver) UB: Maloney to Pak good leg positions, last handstand fine, hop in place on DLO. 9.900
Millar-Crossman (BYU) BB: Pretty straddle positions on leaps. Punch front full stuck to end. 9.800
Zirbes (Utah) FX: Good control on front double full. Same with back 1.5 to front full. 9.875
Soma (Stanford) VT: Full with a big hop back. 9.825
Rorich (Denver) UB: Jaeger easily caught, DLO pretty close to the bar hop back. 9.900
Hoke (BYU) BB: Series no issues, back 1.5 chest way down but holds stick. 9.875
Neff (Utah) FX: Front double full to punch front. “Avery battled some injuries early on” is a bit of an understatement! Last pass strong. 9.900
Gutierrez (Stanford) VT: Y1.5 pretty big hop forward. 9.850
Cooley (Denver) UB: Tkatchev caught a bit close but made it. Stuck DLO. 9.850
Margraf-Benson (BYU) BB: Back tuck chest up no issues. 9.700
Gilstrap (Utah) FX: Punch lay to Rudi, punch looked a little low but got it around. Love her series to the corner like she’s on the beam. Front lay to front full. 9.90
Roberts (Stanford) VT: 1.5 controlled small hop forward. 9.900
Hebinck (Denver) UB: Lovely first handstand. Tkatchev to Pak connected beautiful form, form break on the half pirouette though but saves, DLO looks like a small step back. 9.825
Silva (BYU) BB: Cat to side aerial. Straddle position not fully 180. Stuck full off the side. 9.825
Smith (UTAH) FX: Front double full to punch front. 9.950
Nguyen (Stanford) VT: Big hop forward on Y1.5. 9.825
Mundell (Denver) UB: Huge air on Tkatchev, handstands solid, DLO a little pikey but stuck. 9.900
Andersen (BYU) BB: BHS LOSO. Leap positions more 180 than the last set. 9.900
McCallum (Utah) FX: Front through to double tuck controlled, good leap positions to 180. 9.950
Bibbey (Utah State) UB (individual qualifier): Tkatchev caught with solid air, good last handstand, DLO tiny hop in place. 9.825
Boris (EMU) BB (individual qualifier): Big wobble on triple series. 9.700
AFTER ONE: Utah 49.575, Denver 49.400, Stanford 49.250, BYU 49.150
Utah had great landings on floor, and in the home environment, that was more than enough to power it to first place. Denver looked predictably great on bars, but to see it ahead of Stanford after last week’s conference championship win on that event is a big confidence boost.
Rotation 2: Utah VT, Stanford UB, Denver BB, BYU FX
Zirbes (Utah) VT: 9.850
Gutierrez (Stanford) UB: 9.850
Cooley (Denver) BB: Nailed triple series. BHS to back full. 9.900
Millar-Crossen (BYU) FX: I think we had a restart situation. Big back double full, slight lack of control. Front lay to front full, better in that respect. 9.750
McCallum (Utah) VT: Big step forward showed lack of control, kind of ran out of it. 9.950
Robinson (Stanford) UB: Jaeger slight feet form, down to the low bar fine, full-in chest up and stuck, looked really nice to end. 9.900
Gallen (Denver) BB: BHS LOSO no hesitation. 9.850
Matern (BYU) FX: Front double full. Back 1.5 to front lay some crossed legs in the air. LOVE this music Doja to Kendrick. Nice three twisting passes! 9.850
Neff (Utah) VT: STUCK double full. 9.950, soft knees but could have gone 10.000.
Neault (Stanford) UB: Legs together on Maloney to Pak. 9.825
Iwai (Denver) BB: Nails triple series with bent legs. 9.8500
Dudley (BYU) FX: Back 1.5 to front lay a bit low out of the punch. Fun reggaeton and Sean Paul routine. 9.850
Glynn (Utah) VT: Y1.5 has to take two steps. 9.825
Chang (Stanford) UB: Has to recast to get into Pak, doesn’t connect after release and falls on her half pirouette, hmmm. 8.850
Bella Mabanta (Denver) BB: Slightly iffy leap form but secure landings. Confident BHS LOSO, stuck. 9.900
Schooley-Meyers (BYU) FX: Back 1.5 to front lay, punch was not much a little scary but got it around. 9.800
Smith (Utah) VT: Chest slightly down and hop forward on Omelianchik, not her usual stick. 9.900
Roberts (Stanford) UB: Pretty Pak after mistake, DLO very close to the bar and small hop back. 9.850
Thompson (Denver) BB: Confident series and stuck gainer pike to end. 9.900
Eaquinto (BYU) FX: Double pike looks stuck in place but controlled step back. Back 1.5 to front lay more fluid with controlled step back right away. 9.850
Johnson (Utah) VT: Stuck 1.5, impressive after being in the lineup not that long. 9.925
Soma (Stanford) UB: Maloney to Pak, holds handstand into Van Leeuwen, DLO slight arm wave but stuck.
Ulrich (Denver) BB: BHS LOSO slight hesitation. Bigger check on full turn. Front aerial to beat. Gainer pike tiny hop back. 9.850
Andersen (BYU) FX: Back 1.5 to straddle, 180 position solid. 9.850
Jelen (Utah State) BB (individual qualifier): BHS LOSO series strong, leaps slight hesitation but 180 positions, steps to side on gainer full. 9.850
AFTER TWO: Utah 98.975, Denver 98.800, Stanford 98.550, BYU 98.325
Things are looking slightly scary for Stanford at the halfway point, with the gulf between it and second place being sizable. Floor is effectively Denver’s weakest event, so the door has the chance to swing back open, but the Pioneers are dialing in on landings so far tonight.
Rotation 3: BYU VT, Utah UB, Stanford BB, Denver FX
Dudley (BYU) VT: 9.850
Smith (Utah) UB: Pak to VL legs together. Step back on dismount. 9.850
Dean (Stanford) BB: Painful-looking fall on series, chest made contact with the beam, but got right backup. Crazy night for Stanford. Straddle to float jump. 9.325
Rorich (Denver) FX: Big double tuck to hop back, a little out of control. Controlled lunge on double pike. 9.850
Earl (BYU) VT: Last minute sub for Mya Kirkham. Bounces back on yfulll. 9.825
Glynn (Utah) UB: Maloney to bail, hop back on dismount. 9.850
Landry (Stanford) BB: Gets wolf around, no hesitation on BHS LOSO. Super confident needle hold on beam. Stuck dismount. 9.850
Brusch (Denver) FX: Big air on double tuck. 9.725
Jorgensen (BYU) VT: Small hop back on yfull. 9.825
Neff (Utah) UB: Gienger down to low bar, stuck FTDLO like a dart. 9.900
Carter (Stanford) BB: Fall on series. Wheels coming off now. 9.150
Iwai (Denver) FX: Back 1.5 to front lay to stag. Double tuck slides out a bit. 9.850
Eaquinto (BYU) VT: Back full, chest down tiny hop in place. 9.825
Morgan (Utah) UB: Maloney and Bhardwaj form solid, floaty VL back up to high bar, dismount small hop to the side. 9.900
Neault (Stanford) BB: Smooth triple series. Confident after the fall, dismount chest down and small hop back. 9.775
Cooley (Denver) FX: First pass secure, god back 1.5 to front lay. 9.850
Silva (BYU) VT: Yfull small hop in place, nice distance off the table. 9.800
Zirbes (Utah) UB: Huge air on Jaeger, full-in small step back looked a bit not controlled. 9.850
Roberts (Stanford) BB: BHS LOSO very small check. Side aerial to split jump arm circle in between, check on landing, step on dismount. 9.875
Bella Mabanta (Denver) FX: Dynamic dance, back 1.5 to front lay. 9.875
Bramblett-Wilde (BYU) VT: Tucked y1.5, hop back and chest pretty down. 9.800
McCallum (Utah) UB: Nice handstand on low bar, Maloney to Pak legs glued together, same on VL, full-in holds stick. 10.000!
Robinson (Stanford) BB: Noticeble check on BHS LOSO, another big one, leaps are secure, chest down but holds stick on back 1.5. 9.775
Ulrich (Denver) FX: Straddle leaps 180, back 1.5 to front lay solid. 9.900
AFTER THREE: Utah 148.475, Denver 148.125, BYU 147.450, Stanford 147.150
Utah and Denver now fully in control with Stanford counting a fall and BYU likely unable to make up the ground needed without major help. In the live blog intro I referred to the tweet about Stanford being a team everyone hates to see coming in the postseason; the same can be said for Denver, who’s living up to the hype by capitalizing today.
Rotation 4: Denver VT, BYU UB, Denver BB, Stanford FX
Bruch (Denver) VT: Hop back on yfull. 9.825
Kirkham (BYU) UB: Falls going back down to low bar. Nice leg form on Maloney. DLO stuck. 9.250
Morgan (Utah) BB: Triple series no hesitation, stuck dismount off the side. 9.900
Dean (Stanford) FX: Rudi strong chest up position on landing, back 1.5 to front full solid too. 9.825
Bella Mabanta (Denver) VT: Stuck yfull, beautiful. 9.900
Glazier (BYU) UB: DLO hop back. 9.800
Winger (Utah) BB: Triple series looked like a slight hesitation. Leg up on leaps. Hop forward on dismount. 9.700
Neault (Stanford) FX: Double pike chest up controlled slide. Leaps were 180, Rudi chest up, all very controlled. 9.825
Ulrich (Denver) VT: Front pike half, small hop in place. 9.925, great night for her.
Alvarado (BYU) UB: Looked clean on the releases, DLO chest up perfect landing. 9.800
Smith (Utah) BB: BHS LOSO slight check. Aerial to leaps are 180. 9.825
Robinson (Stanford) FX: Double pike lands chest down, foot movement. Love her death drop to end. 9.800
Reidenbach (Denver) VT: Y1.5 not the most distance but only a small hop forward. 9.900
Jorgensen (BYU) UB: Last handstand a bit short, DLO stuck. 9.800
McCallum (Utah) BB: Her last routine in the Huntsman. No issues on series, usual flexed feet on leaps. 9.750
Nguyen (Stanford) FX: DLO some front foot movement, leaps not fully rotated, chest up on second pass. 9.900
Casali (Denver) VT: Stuck 1.5 chest low, one of her best. 9.950
Eaquinto (BYU) UB: Maloney to Pak beautiful form, DLO stuck. 9.850
Neff (Utah) BB: Side aerial to BHS tiny check. Not quite a stick on dismount. 9.900.
Roberts (Stanford) FX: Front tuck through to double back, good control. Front lay to back 1.5, same and solid landings. 9.900
Hargraves (Denver) VT: Yfull hop back. 9.825
Bramblett-Wilde (BYU) UB: Falls on Jaeger, falls again, FTDLO hop forward.
Padurariu (Utah) BB: Front aerial decent check has to walk it back, repeats to BHS no issues. Gainer pike hop back. 9.800 a little high with that check.
Walker (Stanford) FX: Front foot movement on double back. Great extension on leaps. 9.900
FINAL: Utah 197.650, Denver 197.725, Stanford 196.500, BYU 196.000
EVENT STANDINGS AFTER TWO SEMIFINALS:
AA: Neff (Utah) 39.650
VT: Neff (Utah) and Casali (Denver) 9.950
UB: McCallum (Utah) 10.000
BB: Chiles (UCLA) 9.950
FX: Chiles (UCLA) 9.975
READ THIS NEXT: Tracking Individual Nationals Qualification Scenarios
Live blog by Katherine Weaver
